Jupiter War
(Owner #3)
by Neal Asher
science fiction, space opera
copyright 2013
read in November 2014
rated 6/10: read to pass the time
As the Owner becomes more machine and less human, his human enemies become less humane. Is there a message here ?
Nooo... If Asher had meant to provide a message about what it takes to be human -- he would have stated it strongly and clearly. With a warp-drive sledgehammer. This is not a subtle book !
Each chapter is introduced with a message from the "subnet", a politically motivated blog. Each message provides some minor background to the story -- and a major message on the stupidity of humanity. There are messages, I enjoy them, they are not subtle.
And did I categorise the previous two Owner books as "space opera" ? If not, I apologise... Large scale action, demigod hero, rapid scientific development... It's all here.
I enjoy space opera. I enjoy science fiction. I enjoy a book which hammers me with messages -- as long as the messages are plausible.
So why only six out of ten for Jupiter War ?!
There is far too much time spent detailing the construction of the new spaceship.
It's nice to know that Asher has thought through the process of building a giant spaceship. Perhaps a dedicated hard SF fan would follow and document the process, sketch the final plans, admire the care and attention to detail...
I find that it detracts from my enjoyment of the story. While clever robots are building large steel structures -- my attention is wandering. The book begins to drag.
Compare that with the final climactic battle -- which is also described in fine but slow detail... The battle is slow but it is an essential part of the story. It doesn't drag -- it builds tension. Though the slow exposition did give me time to work out one major "surprise" :-)
And speaking of slow... My goodness, it does take a long time to dispose of a major villain, doesn't it ?! Still, the disposal is well worth the wait...
This book has a lot of over the top action, mixed with tedious space-themed filler. It's an enjoyable romp through space. The proportion of filler is just a bit too high.
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